Do smoking and vaping increase susceptibility to COVID-19?

Apr 06 2020

Since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) predominantly affects the respiratory system, several studies have looked at the connection between smoking or vaping and the risk of COVID-19 infection. Scientists suspect that smoking and vaping increase a person’s risk of severe COVID-19.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida and in Beijing in February found that more men in China were hospitalized for COVID-19 than women. They suspected that this may be related to the fact that many more men than women smoke in the country.

Similarly, researchers at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology found that out of their sample size of 78 patients with COVID-19, patients with a history of smoking were around 14 times as likely to have a greater progression of the disease. On the other hand, non-smokers had a significantly higher rate of health improvement.